Business

Earlier this year a number of privacy organizations raised alarms about the way Microsoft shared Skype users' private information. Now, a new report suggests that Microsoft itself is closely monitoring messages sent between Skype users. Technology ... blog Ars Technica says it has learned that Microsoft is actively scanning messages containing HTTPS URLS, or URLs associated with secure websites. Microsoft Monitoring, Storing Links Ars writer Dan Goodin says he's also learned that Microsoft is scanning these messages as a form of fraud prevention and that the firm is logging the results for an ... (view more)

Eight members of the United States Congress have written to Google demanding the company address privacy issues involving its Google Glass project. The device, which essentially blends a smartphone with a pair of spectacles, has raised questions ... about data handling. The letter comes from the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, which doesn't have any formal powers but offers elected officials a way to discuss topics they consider important. (Source: house.gov ) It's clear from the letter that members of Congress are suspicious of Google. The letter points to the controversy surrounding ... (view more)

A new report from Forrester Research says Windows 8 will not become an enterprise standard. In fact, the report says that by the time another version of Windows becomes available, Windows 7 will remain the enterprise crowd's chosen operating system ... (OS). Forrester analyst David Johnson says that means Windows 8 can be considered nothing less than a major letdown for Microsoft. "I have to believe Microsoft expected better enterprise adoption for Windows 8," noted Johnson, who acted as lead author on Forrester's report titled "IT Will Skip Windows 8 As The Enterprise Standard." (Source: pcworld ... (view more)

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt recently said his company's Google Glass technology is still a year away . However, a new report indicates that many consumers wouldn't use the device even if it was available right now. A recent survey of ... 1,000 Americans found that only one in ten people would wear Google Glass technology on a regular basis. The survey, which was carried out by Bite Interactive, found that many Americans feel the device is "too socially awkward." SNL Skewers Google Glass Not helping the situation: a recent "Saturday Night Live" sketch that ridiculed the ... (view more)

Microsoft has officially announced the first upgrade to Windows 8 operating system (OS) will be available on June 26, 2013. There will be no charge, so long as you already own the OS. According to a Microsoft blog post, the new software "will be a ... free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store." That suggests users may need to manually install the update and that it won't be downloaded and installed automatically. (Source: windows.com ) The June 26 release will be a "public preview," meaning it won't be installed on new computers until later on. Update Known As Windows 8.1 ... (view more)

Microsoft's communications chief has described criticism of Microsoft as "a trend to the extreme." The comments appear to have been made in response to articles in two high-profile publications. Frank Shaw, Microsoft's vice president of corporate ... communications, has written a blog post in which he takes issue with the way people criticize people and products in an online setting. "In this world where everyone is a publisher, there is a trend to the extreme -- where those who want to stand out opt for sensationalism and hyperbole over nuanced analysis," Shaw said. "In this ... (view more)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently discussed his friendship and business relationship with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on CBS' 60 Minutes. It was an emotional interview that left the former Microsoft chief executive officer fighting back ... tears. For decades the Jobs-Gates relationship has been portrayed as highly complex. In some instances, such the 1999 made-for-TV movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley," which starred Noah Wyle and Anthony Michael Hall, the two are depicted as rivals viciously battling for control of the consumer electronics industry. Gates Keeps Quiet About Jobs' Insult ... (view more)

Looking for more storage space in the cloud? Then look to Google Drive, which now offers 15 gigabytes (GB) for free. Until now, Google has been offering users of its Google Drive cloud storage service 5GB for free. However, the company now says it ... will combine its Google Drive service with Gmail and Google+ Photos and give users access to 15GB free storage. Google Drive director of product management Clay Bavor says that consumers will no longer have to stress about freeing up space for more files. "Use Your Storage The Way You Want" "With this new combined storage space, you won't ... (view more)

Microsoft is fixing more than thirty security vulnerabilities with its May 2013 Patch Tuesday security update package. All in all, this Patch Tuesday includes ten security updates, two of which have been marked 'critical'. The most significant of ... Microsoft's fixes addresses a zero-day bug that could allow hackers to exploit a security vulnerability in the firm's Internet Explorer 8 web browser. The flaw has been used by cyber criminals to attack United States government websites and steal information related to government employees. Most recently, the vulnerability was exploited by hackers ... (view more)

Microsoft executive Tami Reller recently took the opportunity to boast that her firm has now sold 100 million licenses of the new Windows 8 operating system (OS). On the surface, it appears impressive that Microsoft has sold so many licenses in just ... a six-month time frame. (Source: windows.com ) However, industry insiders have suggested that many of those licenses aren't being used. According to Patrick Moorhead, lead analyst at Moor Insights ... (view more)